Utah Congressman's Bid to Block DC Law May Be Dead on Arrival

WASHINGTON, DC — Despite U.S. Rep. Jason Chaffetz's (R-Utah) effort to block D.C.'s "Death with Dignity" law, it looks like he doesn't have the support he needs from the Senate to pull it off -- at least not yet.

The Senate reportedly has no plans to overturn the D.C. law, despite the fact that Chaffetz's House Oversight Committee successfully passed a disapproval resolution on Monday on a party-line vote with the intent to put it to a full House vote by the end of this week.

The HOC's counterpart in the Senate, the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, hasn't put the issue on its schedule, according to DCist. And the committee's chairman, Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), has reportedly said that it's "not going to happen."

Congress is technically charged with oversight of the District, but in the last few decades lawmakers have left local laws up to local leadership. Chaffetz has bucked that tradition by saying he wants to bring the District in line with more conservative values and has vowed to fight the "Death with Dignity" law as well as D.C.'s efforts to remain a sanctuary city for undocumented immigrants.

Chaffetz has faced angry protests both from D.C. residents as well as his own constituents back in Utah, but he has ignored all of them.

Image via U.S. Congress